Refrigeration



Feb. 20,1940. R. l.. HALLocK Re. 21,362

`REFRIGIEIRA'I'ION Original Filed March 8, 1933 J d ATTORNEY ReiuuedFeb. 20,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Original No. 2,009,802, dated July 30, 1935,Serial No. 800,001, March 8, 1933. Application for reissue July 23,1937, Serial No. 155,289

36 Claims.

This application is in part a continuation of my oopending applicationSerial No. 614,091, n led May 28, 1932,now patent No. 2,036,043.

My invention relates to refrigeration and more g particularly toevaporators and ice-trays, including grids therefor, for refrigeratlngapparatus or machines.

The nature of my invention will become apparent from the followingdescription taken in 1o conjunction with the accompanying drawingshowing a preferred form of my invention,

O! the drawing:

Fig. l is a plan view showing a section through an evaporator and thetop of an ice-tray structure ll embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of F13. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front view partly in section and taken on the line 3 3 ofFig. 1;

n Fig. 4 lshows a detail and is a sectional view taken on the line 4 4of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

The evaporator structure comprises side walls Il and a shelf Il. Thewalls I0 are cooled below ice freezing temperature as by pipes 9carrying refrigerant to be evaporated. The structure shown is a casting,but any type or kind of evaporator structure having ice-trays orfreezing compartao ments is adapted to carry out the invention.

The shelf II supports an ice-tray structure comprising a tray body I2.The tray body is adapted to hold water to be frozen. The tray body ismade oi thin, flexible metal such is alumi- 35 num. At the forward endof the tray body is a ilange structure I3 having a vertical forward wallIl to which is attached a front cover plate I5 which is formed toprovide a handle I6, of the type in which the lingers are insertedupwardly, for

o the removal oi' the tray. The cover plate I5 overlaps a metal sidepiece I1 which may be porcelaln'ed. The cover plate I5 has a verticalextent from the top of the shelf Ii to substantially the top of the nexthigher shelf, so that .the sum u oi' the cover plates of the ice-traysforms a closure for the front of the ice-tray compartment of theevaporator.

Formed in the side wall I0 is a projection or lug Il extending inwardlyabove shelf II. Immedlately' above lug il is the bent end I9 of arotatable or turnable member 20. The member 20 1s horizontallyjournalled in the ribs or webs 2| at the side of the tray body and thetwo ends are bent in opposite directions to form the projection u Il andan auxiliary handle 22 which projects forwardly through a slot 23arranged vertically in the cover plate I5 and to one side of the handleI6.

Within vthe tray body is a grid structure generally designated at 30.This grid comprises hol- 5 low walls. Preferably the major portion ofthe grid structure is made of a. phenol condensation product such asBakelite. The grid may be considered as made up of parallel backbonewalls 3| and 32, and lateral walls 33 and 34. The grid l. proper may besaid to bemade up of a doublewalled backbone and lateral double-walledwebs. The backbone walls preferably extend continuously the full lengthof the grid or internal webs may be provided across the lateral webs tostiifen the 1| grid longitudinally.

The opposite walls of the grid are closer together at the bottom than atthe top so that the walls as a whole taper apart upwardly. The grid maybe made as a casting with an open top, the U open top being closed by arubber member 3B which is cemented or glued to the less flexiblematerial of the grid. Thus the grid encloses one or more hermeticallysealed spaces 31; that is, isolated from the atmosphere so as to excludewater. 8l

Preferably ledges or feet 39 are provided at the bottom of the gridwalls 3| and 32 so that, on lifting the grid, the ice is certain toadhere to the grid. They need not and should not be placed on thelateral webs.

A lever 40 is provided at the forward end of the grid and attachedthereto by passing through a hole 4I in the backbone of the grid belowthe top edge of the tray. As shown, in its down position, the lever 40extends upwardly and rearwardly and I5 is adapted to rest snugly againstthe upper edge of the grid. Lever 40 may be made of a single piece ofbent Wire on which is placed a reinforcing or bearing plate or member42. Plate I2 is bent around the curve of the lever and is adapted to 40contact the forward upper inside edge of the tray body. The lever l0 haslateral extensions I3 adapted to be grasped by the lingers to pull thelever as indicated by the arrow I5 in Fig. 2 in order to'pry the gridwith ice pieces attached 45 thereto away from the tray body.

The grid 30 is preferably provided with tabs 41 extending above the edgeof the tray body. These tabs may be formed by raised parts in the 5lateral webs of the grid. The purpose of this is to provide places abovethe water level in the tray body which can readily be squeezed by theilngers to so push the grid walls together as to disengage the icetherefrom. n

The apparatus operates, or, rather, is to be operated as follows:

The ice tray is iilled with water, whereupon the grid is inserted so asto have the position shown in the drawing, and the tray is then insertedinto the evaporator until the cover plate I5 abuts the plate I'I. Thisabutment is a means for positioning the tray in the evaporator so 4thatthe lever part I9 is directly above the projection IB. Obviously theprojection IB need be only so wide as to be under and contacted by thelever part I9 when this part is lowered. Positioning of the ice tray inthe evaporator compartment is therefore important and the abutment ofthe front cover plate with the evaporator structure accomplishes this.The part I9 will be held above the projection Il due to preponderance ofweight of the longer lever arm 22. The bottom of slot 23 provides a restfor the lever member and determines the non-operating position.

Assume now that the refrigerating apparatus has been operated asuilciently long time to freeze the water in the tray.

It is well known that ice trays of this sort stick to the supportingshelf. To release the ice tray from the shelf, the forwardly projectinglever part 22 is raised vertically. This lever part can be turnedthrough approximately degrees and, in turn, will turn the rearprojection I9 through the same angle. 'Ihus the part I9 will movedownwardly and contact the projection I8. Due to the relative lengths ofthe arms 22 and I9 a large force can be applied to projection I8 for asmall lifting force under arm 22.

It will be noted that the upward reaction against the tray body isapplied adjacent one corner of the tray. By using a. thin metal tray anda somewhat flexible grid, the tray can be gradually peeled or shearedaway from the shelf. This peeling or shearing is particularlyfacilitated if it is done from one corner of the tray.

'I'he lever arm 22 is thus lifted and then dropped. The tray is nowfreed from the shelf. The tray is now removed from the evaporator byinserting lingers upwardly under the drawer type handle I6 and pullingthe tray horizontally out from the evaporator compartment.

The tray with the ice in it frozen to the inner wall of the tray bodymay now be held in one hand while the lingers of the other hand areinserted under the projections 43 and the lever I pulled in thedirection of the arrow 45. If deslred, the projections may be somewhathigher than shown to facilitate passing the lingers thereunder. Practiceshows, however, that it is wise not to flll the tray too full of water.Obviously some other structure may be used for the lever III. such as aring at the end of a ilat bar.

Here again the liexible nature of the tray body comes into account. Onpulling lever Il upwards, the part I2 press against the upper forwardedge of the tray body at 5I) and peels or shears the front of the traybody away from the grid with ice clinging thereto, gradually from thetop downwardly. It will be noted that the lever is provided only at oneend of the tray. At the same time, the lever exerts ah upward force onthe grid with respect to the tray body due to reciprocal pivoting on thetray at SII. Thus when the front has been peeled or sheared, theshearing proceeds along the bottom of the tray and the bottom of thetray is thus gradually peeled or sheared from the grid with ,attachedice from front .to back. The grid becomes pivoted at the back upper endof the tray body and the back is thus also sheared away. The sides taperaway from each other as shown in Fig. 5 and the ice has no diilicultydisengaging itself from the side walls. Thus with a relatively smallforce the grid with ice cubes attached is entirely loosened from thetray.

The legs 39 and the rigidity of the backbone 3I32 assure that the icecubes stick to the grid and prevent the grid from pulling up through theice.

`The best procedure now is to let the grid with ice cubes attached fallback into the ice tray body. The tabs l1 of two ribs in transversealignment are then pressed between the thumbs and fingers while thehands are pushed toward each other. Pushing the thumb and nger on anyone tab together shears the lateral walls away from the ice from the topdownwardly while pushing the hands together pushes the backbone wallstogether to peel or shear them from the ice and also peel or shear theoutside web edges from the ice. Thus applying longitudinal andtransverse pressure to the webs in pairs causes all the ice cubes to bereleased from the grid. The grid, due to the feet 39, may now be liftedto remove the lce cubes from the tray.

Obviously, instead of using a narrow rubber member 3B, the internalnarrow spaces of .the grid may be illled with yieldable material. Aspongy material may be used with a water-proof coating on top. Whenpressed toward each other. the walls of the g d will spring out againdue to the resiliency o the rubber 36 or the resiliency of the materialof which the grld is principally made or both. The grid may be made ofother material such as thin metal.

It will be obvious that the part I9 may be on the same side of the trayas the part 22. Also, separate pieces may be used to make up theleverage member. If the long and short arms of the lever are on the sameside, the transverse turning part of the lever may be omitted and asupporting member may be substituted on which the lever is rotatablymounted. If desired, a stii member may be placed longitudinally of thebackbone part of the grid, particularly if internal reinforcing Webs areomitted.

It will be obvious that a variety of other modiiications may be madewithin the spirit and scope of the invention.

So much of the disclosure herein as relates to the separation of the icetray from the evaporator, per se, is made the subject matter of andclaimed in a copending application iiled by me on May l, 1934, SerialNo. 723.293.

What I claim is:

l. A grid for an ice tray consisting of doublewalled structure enclosinghermetically sealed space.

2. A grid for an ice tray comprising a doublewalled backbone, lateraldouble-walled webs, and means forming hermetically sealed space withinthe double-walled parts.

3. A removable grid for an ice tray comprising a double wall webstructure including pairs of wall parts adapted to be flexed toward eachother, ledges on edges of the web structure. and a lever pivoted on saidweb structure.

4. The combination with an ice tray bodymade of thin flexible metal, ofa grid therein, and a lever pivoted on said grid adjacent the top andinwardly of the edge thereof, said lever being along the top of thegrid, whereby on pulling u enses the lever upwardly the tray body issheared from the4 grid with ice .attachedthereto.

5. A removable grid for an ice tray comprising a double-walled hollowmember closed at the bottom and sides and having a top opening and arubber member closing said opening.

6. A removable grid for an ice tray comprising a double-walledback-bone, lateral double-walled webs, means for hermetically sealingspace within said back-bone and said webs. opposite wall parts beingyieldable toward each other, and lateral projections on the lower edgeoi the backbone. 4

'1. A removable grid tor an ice tray comprising a double-walledback-bone, lateral double-walled webs, means for hermetically sealingspace within said back-bone and said webs. lateral projections on thelower edge of the back-bone. and a lever attached to said back-bone.

8. A grid for an ice tray consisting of a doublewalled flexiblestructure enclosing hermetically sealed space and having tabs, adaptedto be pressed by the lingers to squeeze opposite wall parts together.

9. A grid i'or anice tray comprising a doublewalled back-bone, lateraldouble-walled webs. means forming hermetically sealed space within thedouble-walled parts, and tabs on said lateral webs for squeezingopposite wall parts together.

10. The combination with an ice tray body made of flexible material, ofa grid iitting therein consisting of a double-walled structure enclosinghermetically sealed space adapted to have opposite wail parts squeezedtoward each other. andra lever pivoted -on said grid adjacent the topand inwardly oflan edge thereof, said lever having a portion adjacent anedge of said tray body and a portion adapted to lie along the top of thegrid, whereby on pulling the lever upwardly the tray body is shearedfrom the grid with ice attached thereto.

11. A grid for an ice tray comprising a doublewalled back-bone, lateral'double-walled webs. and a rubber closure member, said parts enclosinghermetically sealed space.

i2. In combination with an evaporator, an ice tray body made of flexiblematerial, a grid therein consisting of `a double-walled structure -enclosing hermetically sealed space, means to gradually shear the traybody from the evaporator, and means to gradually shear the grid with iceattached thereto from the tray body.

13. Apparatus for producing ice pieces comprising a tray body and a gridmember removably iltting into said tray body, said grid membercomprising pairs of vertical walls joined together at their bottom edgesa d separated at the top edges. the material of d walls being resilientso that adjacent walls may be ncxed together, and means for sealing thespaces between the respective pairs of walls to prevent entrance oi.'iluid thereinto.

14. Apparatus i'or producing ice pieces comprising a tray body made ofresilient material and a grid memberV comprising a central dividingportion and lateral dividing Yportions removably iltting into said traybody. said portions comprising pairs of vertical walls joined togetherat their bottom edges and relatively movable at their top edges, thematerial oi' said walls being resilient so that adjacent walls may besqueezed together. the vertical extent of saidcentral portion making itless resilient to a vertical load than said tray body. and meanspivotally'mounted on said grid member for moving it in a vertical planefrom said tray body.

15. Apparatus lor producing ice pieces comprising a tray body adapted tohold water to be iroaen and having resilient bottom and side walls,

a grid unit removably iltting into said tray body and adapted to haveice cling thereto, and leverage means to distort a resilient side wall,oi said tray body and gradually peel said tray body away from said gridunit and ice clinging thereto.

16. Apparatus for producing ice pieces comprising a tray body adapted tohold water to be frozen and having resilient bottom and side walls, agrid unit removably fitting into said tray body and adapted to have icecling thereto, and means to press a side wall of said tray body awayfrom said grid unit and ice attached thereto and to exerta separatingforce between said grid unit and ice and the bottom oi the tray body,whereby the grid unit and ice attached thereto is gradually shearcd awayfrom the tray body.

l'. Apparatus for producing ice pieces comprising a tray body adapted tohold water to be frozen and having resilient bottom and side walls, agrid unit removably iitting into said tray body and adapted to have icecling thereto, and a single lever mounted on one end of said grid unitand adapted to exert force against a resilient side wall oi' said traybody and to force the grid unit away from the bottom of the tray bodywhereby the grid unit with ice attached thereto is gradually peeled awayi'rom the tray body.

18. For use in an ice tray, a grid having longitudinal and transversewebs, said webs comprising spaced walls, the interior between said wallsbeing sealed to prevent entrance of iluid thereinto and the walls beingyieldable toward each other.

19. The combination with a metal tray body adapted to hold liquid forproducing ice pieces, oi'la grid entirely separable from said tray bodyand incapable alone of holding liquid and consisting essentially ofresilient webs having interior spaoesealed to prevent entrance of fluid.

20. The combination with a metal tray body adapted to hold liquid forproducing ice pieces and having a resilient side and bottom walls, of agridv entirely separable from said tray and incapable alone of holdingliquid and consisting essentially of resilient webs and a lever pivotedon said grid for separating the grid from the tray body.

2l. Apparatus for producing ice pieces comprlsing a tray body, a gridmember removably fitting into said tray body and separable therefrom,said grid member comprising pairs of walls yieldable in direction towardeach other, and means ior shearing the grid member with ice attachedthereto from the tray body.

22. The combination with a metal tray body adapted to hold liquid forproducing ice pieces, of a Vgrldhavlng webs comprising spaced wallsadapted to be squeezed toward each other and sealed to prevent entranceo! uid between the walls.

prising a tray body and a grid member removably ntting into said traybodyV and separable thereinem. said grid member comprising sets ofspaced walls enclosing hermeticaily sealed .spaces and yieldabie indirection toward each other.

25. For use in an ice' tray. a grid having opposite parallel relativelyclose walls joined at a plurality of edges and resiliently yieldabietoward each other and opposite parallel relatively close walls joined ata plurality of edges and angularly disposed with respect to the iirstmentioned walls and integral therewith and resiliently yieldable towardeach other.

26. 'I'he combination. with an evaporator and an ice tray body made oiilexible material and ai grid adapted to be placed therein, of leveragemechanism acting between the tray body and the evaporator, and leveragemechanism acting between the grid and the tray body, the tray body beingbendable at the places where the force is applied between the tray bodyand ice adhering thereto, whereby the leverage mechanisms operate togradually Peel the ice tray body from the evaporator and to graduallypeel the grid with ice attached thereto from the tray body.

27. 'I'he combination with a iiexlble ice tray body. of a grid fittingtherein. and a lever pivoted on said grid and having a portionpositioned to contact a exible edge oi said tray body. the combinationbeing so constructed thaton operating the lever, the flexible edge'isbent away from the grid and the tray body is gradually peeled from thegrid with ice attached thereto, said grid having iiexible webs to permitremoval oi' ice cubes therefrom.

28. The combination with an evaporator and a flexible ice tray body anda exible grid iltting therein. of means to gradually peel the icetraybody from the evaporator and means to gradually peel the grid with iceattached thereto from the tray body.

29. Apparatus for producing ice pieces-comprising a resilient tray bodyand a grid member, said grid member including abackbone and lateraldividing portions and removably iitting into said tray body. saidportions including pairs oi vertical walls joined together at theirbottom, edges and relatively movable at their top edges. the material o!said walls being resilient so that adjacent walls may be ilexedtogether, said backbone being less resilient to vertical` load than saidtray body, and means pivtallv mounted on said grid member for moving itin a vertical plane from said tray s 30. A grid for an ice tray having acentral part and double walled hermetically sealed lateral ators, aremovable grid located in said tray and`l a1,ses

defining compartments therein. a handle upon said grid. and meansactuated by the upward movement of said handle and enseable with saidtray to exert a leverage upon the latter to iroaen therein and a gridtherein. of force multiplying means actuatable to exert reactive forcesbetween the ic tray body and the evaporator to gradually peel the icetray body from the evaporator and force multiplying means actuatable toexert reactive forces between the grid and the tray body to graduallypeel the grid with ice attached thereto from the ice tray body.

33. Apparatus for producing ice pieces comprising a tray body. a gridmember removably ntting into said tray body and separable therefrom.said grid /memberf comprising pairs of relatively movable walls, abackbone structure .ioiningsaidpairsofwallssothatthe gridasa whole isrigid when' being removed i'rom the tray body. the walls of therespective pairsbeing respectively attached to each other` at someplaces and detached from each other at other places to permit partialrelative movement for release of ice cubes.

34. Apparatus for producing ice pieces comprising a tray body and a gridmember removably iitting into said tray body and separable therefrom.said grid member comprising pairs oi' relatively movable walls, saidwalls being attached to each other at certain places and free formovement relative to each other at otherl places for iiexure to releaseice pieces, and means for separating the grid member with ice attachedthereto from the tray body.

35. Apparatus for producing ice pieces comprising an ice tray and aremovable grid located in said tray and dening compartments therein,saidy grid having a vertical backbone part extending continuouslysubstantially the full length oi the interior of the tray and doublewalled exible ilateral webs.

36. Apparatus for producing ice pieces comprising an ice tray and aremovable grid located in said tray, said grid having a verticalbackbone Y v part extending continuously substantially the full lengthoi the interioroi' the tray and double walled hermetically sealedlateral webs, a lever pivoted on saidbackbone part. and said backbonepart being of sumcient rigidity in the lplane oi movement of the leverto give "rigidity to the arid with ice attached thereto.

Vrtoeiiza'r LAY Harmon.

